Gun clearing device



Jan. 3l, 195@ 1 F. YOUNG GUN CLEARING DEVICE 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 I Filed March 8, 1948 Jan. 31, 1950 F, YQUNG 2,495,800

GUN CLEARING DEVICE Filed March 8, `1948 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVEN TOR. Maf? E ya v6 one side of the valve with the charging cylinder |9 for conducting fluid under pressure to one side of a piston therein (not shown) to thrust the gun bolt stud to the left end of the slot I8, or its recoil position, it being returned to the position shown in this figure, or the battery position, by spring means within the gun to initially charge the gun in the well known manner for firing. The conduit 25 is adapted to be connected to a source of air under pressure or a gas cylinder, as carbon dioxide, to supply the charging pressure to the charging cylinder as is also well known in the art.

The gun firing solenoid 28 is positioned near the gun charging solenoid 24 on the sub-frame members 29 and, 30 and actuates a sear slide 3| through a bell-crank linkage 32 to cooperate with the ring pin detent to condition the gun for firing or noniiring as is well known in the machine gun art.

A timer 35 is also within the frame of the gun charger l5. This timer is not shown in full detail since it forns no part of the present invention and its construction and operation is fully illustrated and described in the above-mentioned patent to Walter R. Weeks. Principally, the timer consists of a motor 35 geared to a shaft 31 on which two bell-crank levers 38 are frictionally clutched. Each bell-crank lever has a portion 39 engageable with an extension 46 of a switch operative to control circuits later to be described. A lever IH pivoted on the shaft 31 extends into the slot i8 of the charging cylinder i9 in the path of the gun bolt stud |1. Upon recoil of the gun, the gun bolt stud |1 will strike the lever 4| pivoting it rearwardly. The lever 4| carries the cross bar 42 that engages the bell-crank levers 38 turning them clockwise against the friction of their respective clutches to prevent the bell-crank lever portions 39 of each from engaging the associated switch actuator lever 88. A lever 43 has one portion that engages the cross bar 42 and a cam portion that is adapted to be engaged by the piston of the charging cylinder to eiect lifting of the bar 42 to permit the bell-crank lever 39 to advance to the associated switch actuator lever 40 to control the gun circuit in a manner later to be more .fully described.

Referring to Figs. 2 and 3 in addition to Fig. 1, there is shown attached to the frame member 2|, as by bolts 50, a block 5| on which are pivoted two arms 52 and 53 by a shaft 54 fastened thereon by pins 55. The block has a centrally located notch 56 (see Fig. 3) through which the shaft 5G extends. An actuator cam lever 51 operates within the notch 56 and is xed to the shaft 513 by a pin in the same manner as the arms 52 and 53, the actuator cam lever 51 being positioned slightly less than 180 degrees from the arms 52, 53, as shown in Fig. 2. On the lower edge of the arms 52 and 53 and the block 5| are studs 58 for supporting tensioning springs 59 which bias the arms 52 and 53 in the counterclockwise direction, as best understood from viewing Fig. l, in which the arms are out of the path ofthe gun bolt stud |1.

A gun clearing solenoid actuator 60 is held to the gun charger through frame members 6| and 62 that are mounted on the frame member 2| as by bolts or screws 63. The solenoid 60 has an extension 66 through which is axially journaled an actuator pin 65 mechanically connected 4to the solenoid armature. The solenoid extension 64 has aliiattened portion 66 at its outer end on which is pivotally supported a bifurcated flipper lever 61 at a point substantially below the longitudinal center line of the actuator pin 65. The end of the ipper lever 61 opposite the pivot has a cam portion 68 that cooperates with the cam portion of the actuator cam lever 51. Upon energization of the gun clearing solenoid '68, the pin 65 is thrust outwardly to rotate the flipper lever 61 counterclockwise which rotates the actuator cam lever 51 clockwise to position the arms 52 and 53 in the path of the gun bolt stud l1. This action takes place to shift the gun clearing means from an inactive to an active position as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, respectively, in which Fig. 1 shows the position of the gun clearing parts when the gun clearing solenoid is de-energized and Fig. 2 shows the gun clearing position when the solenoid 60 is energized. The gun clearing solenoid 60 is electrically -connected through the conductor 89.

In order to better understand the circuit means for operating a machine gun including the gun clearing device, it is best to refer to Fig. 4 in which like parts shown in block forni representing the elements of the former figures have like reference characters and the elements shown diagrammatically and corresponding to elements of the former figures have primed reference characters of those in Figs. 1, 2 and 3. In Fig. 4, the positive side of a potential source, as a battery 15, is connected to one side each of two normally open switches 16 and 11, shown with legends and referred to hereinafter as gun clearing and gun ring switches, respectively. The supply side of the gun firing switch 11 is connected through a conductor 18 to the contact 19 of a normally closed switch A in timer 35 and the contact 80 of this switch A is connected to the timer motor 36 (Fig. l) and to Contact 3l of a normally open switch B of timer 35. Contact 82 of switch B is connected to the gun charging solenoid 24 through the conductor 83. The supply side of the gun iiring switch 11 is also connected through a conductor 85 and a normally closed relay switch 86 to the gun firing solenoid 28.

The supply side of the gun clearing switch 16 connects the electromagnet of the relay switch 86 and the gun clearing solenoid 60 in parallel through conductors 81 and 63 such that when switch 16 is closed the relay will break the circuit to the gun firing solenoid 28 and energize the gun clearing solenoid 60.

In operation, and considering that the above described machine gun device is in an aircraft for the purpose of illustration, when the pilot desires to fire the gun, he depresses the gun firing button to close switch 11. A circuit is now closed through thel switch A and timer motor 36 and at thesame time the circuit is closed through the relay switch 8'6 and the gun ring solenoid 28 wherein the gun :tiring solenoid operates through the bell-crank linkage 32 to position the sear slide 3| to allow gun firing upon operation of the gun mechanism. The timer motor 36 rotates to advance the bell-crank levers 39 and 39 toward their switch actuating positions in which lever 39' would close switch B and lever 39 would open switch A. The timer mechanism is constructed and arranged, as is well known in the art, to advance the switch B actuator 39 at a more rapid rate than the switch A actuator 39 such thatV in a fraction of a second of timing motor operation the switch actuator 39l for switch B will have advanced -to close "switchf B- and`V close the ycircuit' through rthe gun charging solenoid v24. The solenoid 24 actuateszthe valve' 23 to supply gas under pressure '5to -the cylinder I9 -causing a piston `9D (shown in phantom) therein to force the gun bolt stud `I1 't'o its recoil position where it strikes the lever 4I andthe piston,.at the same time, strikes the cam lever 43 to retract the switch B`actuator 39' and to shift the cross bar 42 .out of. the path of the switch A actuator 39 such that the switch B opens but the actuator of switch A continues to travel toward its switch actuating opening position. The circuit to the gun charging solenoid being broken allows the valve 23. to return to cut off position and exhaust the charging-cylinder I9 wherein the gun bolt stud l1 returns to=battery position, as .shown in Fig. l. The action of the gun bolt stud through the above cycle effects through the mechanism of the gun automatic loading, ring and shell ejectingin the gun. Recoil, upon firing of the gun, kicks the gun bolt stud to recoil position in rapid successive cycles. Each time the gun res only the gun bolt stud strikes the lever 4| which pushes both switch actuator levers 39 and 39 away from the switch arms 40 and 40' so that neither switch A or Bis actuatedduring gun firing. Y 1

In the'event that the gun does not re, upon the gunner operating the switch (11) as before. the piston 90 in the gun charger will be actuated several times but, since the piston 9G strikes the cam lever 43 to withdraw the cross bar 42 out of the path of the actuator lever 39, this actuator lever 39 will proceed until it opens the switch A thus locking-out the gun. In order to recondition the gun for active operation it is necessary to manually depress a reset button 95 which is conveniently placed on the gun charger.

The above operation of the gun and gun charger is well known and is only repeated here to provide an unmistakable setting for applicants device. In actual practice and after extended firing of a machine gun of the type described above, a live shell left in battery position upon cessation of ring has, in many cases, been red or cooked-oir due to the hot gun barrel. Obviously such a condition is not only dangerous but very undesirable. For instance, such cookoi may happen when a friendly plane passes before the gun or while aircraft personnel are working about it. Applicant's device prevents this in that at any time, whether or not the gun firing button is depressed, the gun clearing button may be depressed to close switch 16 which energizes the gun clearing solenoid 60 and operates the relay 86 to break the circuit to the gun ring solenoid to withdraw the sear slide 3| rendering the gun ring pin inactive. The energization of the gun clearing solenoid 60 effects a clockwise rotation of the arms 52, 53 from the position shown in Fig. 1 to that shown in Fig. 2. In the event this action takes place during the instant that'the gun bolt stud l1 is in battery position, the gun bolt stud will force the arms 52 and 53 counterclockwise suiiiciently to allow the gun bolt stud I1 to pass these arms to its recoil position since either the gun recoil action or the gun charging piston is stronger than the solenoid 60 through its operating linkage to the arms 52, 53. Thereafter the gun bolt stud l1 will strike the back side of the arms 52, 53, as shown in Fig. 2, which prevents further ring or subsequent reloading. The first cycle of gun bolt stud operation after the switch 1B has been closed, permits a live round to be carried in the T-slot of the gun but the live round' never reaches battery position. The scond cycle `of operation ejectsv thelive roundbut another, live round is not picked up wherein the gun lremains empty. It is only necessary for the `gun operator to hold the gun ring button 11 down a short time after depressing the gun clearing button16 to permit the gun to go through at least two cycles. The gun being thus .conditioned removes any possibility of cook-offs and at..the ysame time allows cooling air to pass through the open gun barrel.

.For subsequent firing Aof the gun, it is only necessary to depress the gun firing button 11 and the gun charging` action will take place as explained, supra. vWhen the .gun bolt stud I1 travels. to its recoil' position the arms 52, 53 will be rotated counterclockwise by the springs 59 out ofthe path of the gun bolt stud I1. z

From the foregoing, it maybe readily understood that various modifications and changes in structure and arrangement of parts may be made without changing the spirit and scope of this invention and I desire to be limited only in the scope of the appended claims.

I claim'.

1. In combination with a gun and a gun charger having a charging cylinder with a gun boltistud slot therein for'receiving the gun bolt stud, the improvement which comprises an element selectively movable across the gun bolt stud slot for selectively blocking the gun bolt stud from its battery position, resilient means biasing said element away from the gun bolt stud slot, and means for holding said element across the gun bolt stud slot against the bias of said resilient means.

2. In combination with a machine gun having an operating gun bolt stud and a gun charger having a gun firing solenoid and a charging cylinder with a gun bolt stud slot receiving the gun bolt stud, the improvement which comprises an element selectively movable across said gun bolt stud slot for blocking the gun bolt stud out of battery position, electro-mechanical motor means operatively associated with said element for actuating said element into gun bolt stud blocking position, means biasing said element to a position clearing said gun bolt stud and electrical circuit control means including said electro-mechanical motor for controlling said electro-mechanical motor means.

3. The improvement as set forth in claim 2 wherein said electrical circuit means includes means for rendering said gun ring solenoid inactive upon energization of said electro-mechanical motor means.

4. The improvement as set forth in claim 3 wherein said element comprises a pair of lever members xed in the same angular relation to a shaft journaled on said charging cylinder, and said electro-mechanical motor means is an electromagnetic.

5. A gun clearing device in combination with a gun charger having a charging cylinder with a. gun bolt stud slot comprising, a pivoted lever means adapted to be positioned across the gun bolt stud slot or away from said slot, resilient means biasing said lever means away from said slot, power means operatively associated with said lever means for positioning said lever means across said slot, and means for controlling said power means whereby operation of said power means to position said lever means across said slot prevents an associated gun from placing a cartridge in battery position.

al-cisco '6. A. gun clearing device as seticrtli in claim 5 wherein said'power means is an electromagnet and said means controlling said electromagnet is an electric circuit, said circuit including a relay for opening a gun ring circuit upon closure of said first mentioned circuit whereby an associated gun would be inactivated and cleared of live rounds. 'l

7. A gun clearing device in combination with a gun charger having a charging cylinder with a gun bolt stud slot thereincomprising, a pair of lever members pivotally supported on said charger cylinder adjacent one end of said slot, said levers being'xedin the same angular rela tion and spaced apart to straddle said charging cylinder and shorten said .gun bolt stud slotr in one pivoted position thereof; electromagnet power means operative to pivot said levers to said one pivcted position upon energlzation thereof and means resiliently biasing said levers; toa second pivoted position away from said gun bolt stud slot, 'and circuit control means including said electromagnet power means whereby said levers can be selectively positioned.

8. A gun` clearing device in combinationiwith a gun charger having a charging cylinder with diametrically opposed gun bolt stud slots therein comprising, a pan of lever members axially spaced on a shaft in the same angular relation,

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said shaft being jcurnaled on said charging cyli- `der adjacent the battery end of said gunbolt sind Aslots on an axis parallel to a diameter of said ycharging cylinder such that the levers are rotztA vmembers. to rotate. them to their gun elettrici position upon. electromagnet energization.. and a circuit including controlling means ,for selec* tively energizing said electromagnet whereby saidlever members are selectively placed ini Bun 61m# ing position. Y

REFERENCES CITED The following references' are of record inl the lecfithis patent.

I'l'J'NI'IE'l'l STATES PATENTS 

